When I first started working from home I made some big mistakes.

But, before we jump into how to set yourself up for success with remote working, there are huge benefits for us, our health and also for the health of the planet.

Here are my top 4 benefits:

1. Less time commuting meaning more time spent enjoying out of work activities.
2. More freedom to run the day that works best for you and your productivity levels.
3. Less carbon footprint resulting in positive impacts for our planet
4. More time, more time more time!!!!!

I believe these benefits have substantial health impacts on our lives and the lives of others.

So, with all these advantages, why do some people still argue that you need to be in the office five days a week to be productive?

It’s all about setting yourself up for success and creating the environment that you are going to feel focused and energised.

I work from home most of the time. It suits my lifestyle and it’s how I have designed my life to align with my values.

I now feel far more productive and focused working from my home office than I do in an open-plan office full of distractions. Here’s what I did to make it work for me.

1. Set up an area in my home that is inspiring and allows me to focus
2. Get up at the same time every day and treat it like a typical workday.
3. Get dressed and make myself feel I am going to work and not sit around in my housecoat all day (however great this is, it does not help productivity)
4. Plan my day and schedule breaks every 90 minutes
5. Set boundaries and the times that I will start and finish work.

These five rules that I have set enable me to achieve productive and well-balanced days.

When I first started working from home, I made all the typical mistakes I see people make;

1. No assigned area to focus
2. No day plans
3. Extra time in bed to sleep in
4. No boundaries of when to switch off.

Number 4 is where I went wrong, and it caused me a lot of stress. My home started to become my office, and I couldn’t escape the pressure we all put on ourselves.

I would say things like “you should respond to that email now” and “you must make that call”. If we are not aware of how we speak to ourselves, we can quickly end up feeling anxious. Once I had set myself a switch-off time I thought “no its 7 pm that email can wait until tomorrow” Setting these boundaries were vital to reducing any work-related stress I had.

In summary, I think having the flexibility to work remote is excellent. BUT before you, roll it out in your business or approach your boss to ask for this, make sure you are set up for success and have the right mindset and environment.

If not, this can have the opposite effect, especially if you don’t feel you are productive and the gremlins take over and cause you to feel shame, guilt and ultimately like your failing.

Good luck,

With health and gratitude,

Georgie Hubbard

Director – Growth and Innovation